Renowned photographer Georges Antoni masterfully captures the essence of The Muse collection. We got together for a chat to talk all things life and SABEN'S latest campaign.
THE MUSE IS SABEN’S FIRST CAMPAIGN SHOT IN AUSTRALIA, DID THIS INFLUENCE YOUR APPROACH?
Historically SABEN’s campaigns have used a lot of beach and sky. What I wanted to do was not take a massive deviation away from that but use elements of that and have it almost shot as a diptych with that beside a still life campaign of the bags themselves and seen in more of a graphic, colourful and fun perspective. I think incorporating those three elements was instrumental in making this the new flavour of this campaign. I didn’t consciously incorporate Australia per se.
BEHIND THE SCENES, AND THE SHOT CAPTURED BY GEORGES ANTONI.
I think it made its way in by the nature of where we shot, how we shot and who we shot. But at its core, the label is a New Zealand brand and I wanted to make sure that wedidn’t turn our back on that. Having understood the story of the brand and meeting the team gave me a strong passion for wanting to make beautiful pictures for SABEN.
''The company is already successful and in a wonderful positionbut to be able to be a part of its story growing internationally and take little steps forward is a big privilege.''
WHAT’S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE CAREER MOMENT?
It’s interesting, I don’t have the natural inclination to look backwards. I feel as though the most exciting thing for me is always the next job. I know that sounds a bit cliche, but it’s true. I’ve had the opportunity to shoot some amazing things and my photos have been on everything from a 50-cent piece to a stamp.
My work is on permanent display at the Australian Portrait Gallery, and I’ve shot Hugo Boss campaigns with big celebrities. But those things don’t excite me as much as the next project does.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR CRAFT?
I love the fact that you enter a big white empty room in the morning and then you leave that empty room that night and it’s left exactly the same way it was, but something has happened in between that 12-hour period that’s completely up to you and the team.
You’re creating something completely from scratch and you get the reward of being able to see what that is within that time frame. I really don’t think there are many jobs where you start something that morning and finish it that afternoon and you get to see a completely new creation.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR BIGGEST LIFE LEARNING TO DATE?
I don’t feel like I’ve learned much of what there is to learn, but I think out of those experiences what I’ve learned is that if you have faith in yourself and the grit to keep going and to try, and work hard, I genuinely believe you find your place where you’re meant to be.
I feel inaction is the biggest problem. The biggest learning for me is to not proceed with fear. I’m more than happy to fail.
Iwould never do a job where I’m shooting right in the middle so I know it’s going to be 100% accepted. I like pushing the boundaries on every single job. And that being willing to fail, I think, just allows you to re-evolve and to continue to grow and then therefore stay relevant within your market.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO OTHER CREATIVES?
Don’t stop trying. And don’t take sabbaticals because you want to try and find creativity. Creativity comes from work and other creativity. I think it’s like a muscle. A lot of people are like, ‘oh, I’m going to go find myself in India and find my creative juices’. I don’t think that happens.
If you’re going to go to India, take a camera and photograph it. My advice is just to continue to create.
